Rock Music Legends Of Today

The onstage reunion of the band members of legendary British group Pink Floyd at last years Live 8 concert sparked rumours of the band possibly reforming to record a new album.
Sadly that wasn’t to be, but guitarist David Gilmour gives those holding out hope a glimpse of what may have been on his new solo album On An Island.
It has only been 22 years since his last solo release but like his one time protege Kate Bush, who’s own recent new album had loyal fans waiting over 12 years, it’s been well worth the wait.
The album which mixes jazz, folk and Gilmour’s soaring rock guitar, has been described as very Pink Floydian.
The opening track Castellorizon is reminiscent of Signs of Life from 1987’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason while the title track, On An Island, sparks instant comparisons to Shine on You Crazy Diamond from 1975’s Wish You Were Here with the atmospheric instrumental building around the haunting lyric.
Red Sky At Night, another soaring instrumental could sit comfortably against other Gilmour favorites like The Great Gig In The Sky from the legendary 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon, while Take A Breath evokes memories of Learning to Fly from Momentary Lapse of Reason.
Guest appearances include Jools Holland, David Crosby and Graham Nash, ex-Floyd members Richard Wright and Guy Pratt, and Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music co-producing.
Much of the album was recorded in Gilmour’s private studio aboard his houseboat named Astoria and co-written with his wife, Polly Samson.
Gilmour mave have mellowed somewhat since his last solo release About Face in 1984 which featured tracks like Murder and All Lover’s are Deranged. After all On An Island was released in the U.K. on the same day as his 60th birthday.
But his definitive guitar style and soothingly haunting lyrics still recall the classic Pink Floyd elements, making this new release well worth a listen.

A group of youngsters in England formed a rock band of the genre of heavy metal band in October 1968. The band soon proved its mettle and had a meteoric rise in performance and popularity in the arena of rock music. Its forte was in arcane lyrics coupled with a sensation-causing play of guitars - in particular in the magical hands of Jimmy Page - amidst screaming vocals of notable singer Robert Plant.
In the world of rock music, Led Zeppelin could not sustain itself and the band was short lived. After the death of one of its founding fathers, the band was dismantled in 1980. The work of the band, though, spanning just over a decade, carved out a special niche in the history of rock music as innovators.
Who Was in the Band?

The band consisted of the following members:
1. John Bonham
2. John Paul Jones
3. Robert Plant
4. Jimmy Page
Even before being christened Lead Zeppelin, later on re-christened as Led Zeppelin, the band produced its debut album in an incredible time span of less than 30 hours. The work was so meritorious and stunning that it attracted the attention of Atlantic Records in the United States, eventually leading the band to enter into a contract with them before the end of 1968.
This early success prompted the band to undertake a tour of United States during the beginning of 1969. This unique opportunity enabled the band to release their debut album, adopting the eponymous title "Led Zeppelin." The album became so popular in U.S., it found a place in the top 10 of sales in the U.S. market. During 1969 Led Zeppelin extensively toured in the U.S. and England.
Success Came Quickly, and So Did the Albums
After the resounding success of their debut album, the band brought out another album, "Led Zeppelin-II," by the end of 1969. Quite predictably, the second album hit the market and created an unprecedented success in capturing the top slot.
In the following year, the band released its third album, entitled "Led Zeppelin-III," which was also proved to be popular. The group released an untitled album in November 1971 showcasing diverse forms of its music and unmistakably showing its fixation with folk tales and mythology of Britain. Led Zeppelin released its fifth album, breaking the box office record held by the Beatles. The band released a double album in 1975, which lived up to the expectations of the successes of its earlier albums. Their next album was released in 1979, catching the imagination of music lovers and recording the number-one position both in the U.S. and the UK.

Always a Fan Favorite
1. Stairway to Heaven
2. Whole Lotta Love
3. Dazed and Confused
These innovators of music, soon after its formation, established themselves a worthy place in the firmament of the world of music and soon rose to astounding heights, winning a place in the hearts of millions of rock music lovers worldwide.

Rock music fans wept from heartbreak on September 25, 1980. On that date, John Bonham, the talented drummer for the band Led Zeppelin, died from symptoms caused by an alcohol overdose, and concluded the reign of music’s greatest heavy metal band. While the story of Led Zeppelin rightfully revolves around the band’s music and their antics on and off stage, Led Zeppelin posters also have a firm place in rock history. The band’s contribution to the image of rock music as portrayed through the band’s posters was monumental. Led Zeppelin took rock and blues influences to new heights with their music, and captured the imagination of a generation with their poster art.
There are so many great Led Zeppelin posters; it’s tough to pick a favorite. Certainly, one of the best would be the Swansong poster art of Apollo (not Icarus) above the runes. The composition is so simple, but the emotional power behind the art is undeniable. Of course, Apollo’s mane of hair makes it a rock poster classic. While the meaning of the runes is still subject to debate this day, depending on your source, the most widely accepted version is that each member chose a symbol to represent them on the album cover. Robert Plant’s symbol of a feather in a circle comes from an ancient mythical Mu civilization, and represents truth for Plant. John Bonham’s rune of the three interlocking circles has a mysterious origin, but Plant has said that he thought it implied the trilogy of man, woman and child (or it was the emblem of Ballantine Beer inverted). John Paul Jones’s symbol of a circle overlaying three ovals represents unity and family. The meaning of Jimmy Page’s "zoso" symbol has not been disclosed to the public.

Some mistakenly attribute the symbols and runes on Led Zeppelin posters to an involvement by one or more band members in cults or alternative religions, and delusional rumors about satanic subliminal messages in the Stairway to Heaven played backwards have been spread for years. Though, these wild accusations often show that their fundamentalist accusers were more warped than the band. While many Led Zeppelin songs do demonstrate an attempt by the band to put people in touch with their spiritual or mystical sensitivities, nothing the band produced conflicted with basic Judean-Christian philosophies. The Led Zeppelin poster “Writhing Angel” should evidence the band’s belief in the struggle of good against evil. Listen to Led Zeppelin yourself. You will find the lyrics to Immigrant Song, The Battle of Evermore and Whole Lotta Love and any others, are just pure rock.

Led Zeppelin hypnotized a generation around the world with powerful rock anthems. They synthesized wild combinations of musical influences and defined hard rock for the 1970’s. Despite the fact that the band has produced a magnificent collection of poster art, it is interesting to note that the "plane photo" poster of the four band members in front of their airplane is still one of the most widely demanded rock music posters. In the same stature as the Beatles and Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin fans will not let go of this band. Their music means too much. In the end, the tremendous weight of success was too much for drummer John Bonham. But even with his passing, we can still buy the Stairway to Heaven. Maybe that’s enough for this life.

In my opinion, Led Zeppelin was the greatest rock band of all time. As I hear the news about the reunion show of Led Zeppelin, and the possible tour, I remember when my friend and I drove from San Diego to L.A. to see Robert Plant for our first front row Robert show. It was great just to see Robert and his band do the Led Zeppelin tunes, I can only imagine how awesome it would be to see him with Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass doing Zeppelin tunes. Of course, who better than Jason Bonham to play drums.
Although my friend and I were both too young to have caught Led Zeppelin live, we talked about a reunion with Jason Bonham, and eagerly hoped it would some day happen. The rumors say now perhaps it shall. These rumors seem only to be on the rise, with more positive wording each time I hear them. The excitement reminds me of my early Led Zeppelin memories.
In the early Led Zeppelin years, (basically, Zeppelin spanned the seventies), there were many stories in the popular press about Led Zeppelin, parties and substance use. Of course, after the untimely loss of John Bonham, it became politically incorrect to write about the wild party days of Led Zeppelin. No one, including myself, wanted to hear about how Led Zeppelin’s behavior may have contributed to the loss of John Bonham. It just made everyone sad. I still remember what I was doing when I found out the news (my mom has her JFK moment, I have my John Bonham moment).
The day I heard the news of John Bonham was the first time I saw a guy outside my family cry: my 15 year-old next-door neighbor. I was 10 and had a crush on him probably because he could play Stairway to Heaven on the guitar. Do you remember how in the 70s and early 80s all the guitarists always wanted to play Stairway to Heaven? It was even in the movie, Wayne’s World, when Wayne goes to play guitar in the guitar store. He only gets a few notes into it when the store employee points to the sign on the wall "Absolutely, no Stairway."

So now, here we are in the twenty-first century and I am again getting excited about the idea of getting a chance to see Led Zeppelin live. I know it is not a sure thing, but the band’s representative, Harvey Goldsmith, won’t rule it out. In addition, all of the reviews I have read of their December 10, 2007 show were very positive. Having watched all of the Utube videos of the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute concert, I must agree that the performance was as good, if not better than expected (backpackdave has some of the better sound with the footage, in my opinion).
Robert was a showman, as ever. I think his voice sounded better than it did the last time I heard him on tour with Jimmy in 1995. The first song, Good Times, Bad Times was awesome, and rocked hard! Ramble On came next, and considering it was Jason on drums, it was one of the best versions I have heard. Actually, I think Jason plays it as well as anyone could have, John Bonham included. Black Dog rocked hard as the second tune, In My Time was bluesy as ever, but brief, while For Your Life was long and raw. For Your Life was my favorite of the first half; and, there’s a multi-cam view version which is pretty hot.

By the time Trampled Underfoot got going, you could tell Led Zeppelin was really warmed up. In Nobody’s Fault But Mine Robert played harmonica, which was super cool. No Quarter was a long, trippy rendition, which led right into a super-bluesy, Since I’ve Been Loving You. Dazed and Confused was kinda short and led into the most played rock tune of all time, Stairway to Heaven.
In The Song Remains the Same, Robert was great on his crooning vocals. Misty Mountain was next, and then they finished it off with one of the most well-known get-in-the-mood songs, Kashmir (remember the reference in the movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High).
Fortunately, they played a two-song encore, with Whole Lotta’ Love and Rock and Roll. We heard all of Jimmy’s guitar mastery working off of Robert’s moaning vocals in Whole Lotta Love. As can be imagined, Rock and Roll, the last song, rocked hard and brought the house down.
I am sure to buy any CD or DVD of this performance. I am also eagerly geared up to buy tickets for the U.S. tour. Come on guys, show the U.S. some love! Doesn’t everyone want to see a Led Zeppelin reunion tour?

It’s been said that you achieve true fame if the world knows you by just one name. Madonna Louise Cicccone, or else Madonna, kept just one name but reinvented her image countless times, becoming one of the most successful performers of all times. Educated in Catholic schools as a child, Madonna danced her way to a four year scholarship at the University of Michigan and then New York’s Alvin Ailey School. After recording her debut album in 1983, her rise was meteoric, aided by the popularity of MTV, as she shocked and dared the public with her visible black lacy brassieres, bare midriff, outspokenness about virginity, abortion and out-of-wedlock births.
Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan, the eldest of eight children (surely an error here as she is the eldest daughter, but third eldest child). Her father, Tony, was an engineer at Chrysler, her mother, whose name she was given, a housewife. Later, the family was to move south to Pontiac where she shared a room with two sisters. As a girl, Madonna spent her summers working in her father’s vegetable garden weeding and spraying insecticide, or she was sent to her grandparents’ house in Pennsylvania where she would be expected to work on the house and garden. The regime was rooted in instilling ethical work.

The family was devoutly Catholic. On Good Friday, her mother would place a purple cloth over all the religious pictures and statues in the house. This was before she fell ill with breast cancer, which would take her life when Madonna was six. Like many children who lose a parent, Madonna expected her mother to return. But nobody talked about it. For years it seemed that way. Three years later, her father married again, this time to the family housekeeper who never acknowledged Madonna as her mother did. Going t church before school, doing housework that was assigned by dad’s chore chart, and no TV. This, incidentally, is her top tip for successful parenthood; no TV. Madonna was expected to defrost the freezer, wash the dishes, baby sit, and vacuum. She was a voracious reader and loved the stories her mother told her about a garden involving vegetables and a rabbit.

Like many teenagers, she knew that she would leave for the big city as quickly as she could. She says that she knew she wanted to leave Michigan from the age of five. She lasted one term at her Home-state University on a dance scholarship. Her heart wasn’t in it. Even though she’d never visited, there was really only one place for her: New York, the true home of the ambitious. She arrived, in her late teens, at La Guardia airport and took a taxi to Times Square. She had no money or connections and lived hand to mouth, eventually settling in a tenement on the Lower East Side at 4th and Avenue B. Every weekend she went dubbing in search of A&R personnel and DJs who might be able to assist her career. She recalls dancing to ‘Don’t You Want Me’ by the Human League at New York’s famous Danceteria club. With her first royalty paycheck, she bought a synthesizer and a bike which she had to carry up all six flights to her new apartment, a loft on Broome and West Broadway. Deep down she also carried much resentment about her family, was often unhappy and relied greatly on music, which she has written was ‘a vehicle for transcending misery (the story of my life)’ to get her through thin times.
Anyway, it is a pretty strange thing to sit and think about the fact that Madonna is one of the most famous women in the world. Fame is the defining aspect of her life, even more than her music, style, or the movies. Madonna will be remembered for being one of the most relentlessly self-realized people of the century. Along with Monroe and Ali, Madonna will be remembered for defining the times by inventing and changing and promoting herself with ambition and, in so doing, providing us with a way of understanding ourselves and remembering what we used to dance to, who we used to be.

About the Author

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Society, Alternative Health, and Family
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Article published on October 13, 2006 at Isnare.com

A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want. - Madonna
Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another. Madonna
Madonna isn’t happy with the "boring" movie roles she’s lately been offered. Casting, she complains, sees her as the mother of a "truculent teenage daughter." "Mom" (real life mother of two) sees herself as the truculent one. She’s that and more - this always cutting-edge artist is "frighteningly" good at being anything she wants to be.
Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), better known as Madonna, is an American pop singer-songwriter, dancer, record, film producer, actress and a fashion icon. She is a multiple Grammy and Golden Globe-award winner, known for her ambitious music videos, stage performances and use of political, sexual, and religious themes in her work. Madonna is sometimes referred to as "the Material Girl" or "Queen of Pop" in the media.

Since her debut in 1982, Madonna has released many chart-topping albums and singles, and has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. Billboard reported that her 2006 Confessions Tour holds the record for the top-grossing concert tour by a female artist. According to both the 2007 Guinness Book of Records, and Billboard, she is the top earning female singer. Madonna is the richest female singer in the world, and one of the richest self-made women in the world, with an estimated net worth of over $850 million. On September 27, 2007, she was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2001, the Guinness Book of World Records listed Madonna as the "World’s Most-successful Female Musician".
Madonna was introduced to the gay community while still a teenager. It was her ballet teacher, Christopher Flynn, a gay man, who first told Madonna that she was beautiful. He also introduced her to the local gay community of Detroit, Michigan, often taking her to local gay bars. It is Flynn who encouraged Madonna to walk away from her full scholarship to the University of Michigan and move to Manhattan to pursue a career as a professional dancer. Upon her arrival, some of the first people she befriended were drag queens and gay rentboys.
After the launch of her music career and her entry into public consciousness, Madonna began to solidify her reputation as a gay icon. In the 1980s, Madonna was one of the first major celebrities to lend her support to AIDS causes. Many of her friends and inspirations, such as her ballet teacher Christopher Flynn, artist Keith Haring, and photographer Herb Ritts - as well as her brother Christopher - are gay males, and some of them have died of AIDS. The song "In This Life" from her fith studio album, Erotica, is about the loss of Madonna’s (gay) friends to AIDS, containing the line, "Have you ever watched your best friend die?"

One of Madonna’s biggest hits, 1990’s "Vogue", is a song in tribute to the underground dance form known as vogueing which first found popularity in gay bars and discos of New York City. "Deeper and Deeper," a 1992 hit about a young man’s coming out, featured a small reprise of "Vogue".
In 2003 Madonna kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards. According to Out Madonna shrugs off the attention the act garnered and her daughter Lourdes’ reaction to it (Lourdes told her mother people call the pop star gay and the girl has gained more consciousness of the gay community). "I kind of assume everything I do is going to appeal to the gay audience. I’m just a big queen… it just means I kissed Britney Spears. I am the mommy pop star and she is the baby pop star. And I am kissing her and passing my energy onto her. Like, kind of a mythological fairy tale", Madonna stated of the incident.
Madonna has been named by The Advocate as the biggest gay icon of all time over such icons as Judy Garland and Cher. To this day, Madonna’s gay following is one of the most loyal segments of her audience. While her popularity among certain other communities (like the African American and Hispanic communities, for example) has fluctuated over the years, her gay following seems to stay strongly intact.

About the Author

Jon Caldwell has been an avid fan of Madonna. You can find more resources on Madonna at http://www.MadonnaFanClub.net
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Article published on November 27, 2007 at Isnare.com

One of my favorite artists of all time is Madonna. She is one true super stars of our generation. She is also one of the first women who started out as just a pop star but managed to have staying power. I believe this is because she is a great businesswoman. Madonna has a great voice that has only gotten better over time and she can still manage to dance like no one else. The reason she has remained a household name is because she knows how to sell herself.
When Madonna first came out I was fairly young. I enjoyed all of her earlier pop oriented songs such as Lucky Star, Borderline and Holiday of her first self entitled album. Her second album Like a Virgin had the more provocative self titled song, but she also stuck with the pop roots in Material Girl. She again delved into the slightly provocative in her third album True Blue with the song Papa Dont Preach. Then was her first movie Whos that Girl. I have to admit I did enjoy the movie but thought this would be the end of her career. However, she came back with the album Like a Prayer sticking with those original roots of a self title slightly provocative song and an upbeat pop tune, Cherish.
Through the next few years she managed to put out a few lackluster albums. However she always managed to stay in the media and keep herself a household name. When Madonna released the album Ray of Light I knew she was more than just a pop princess. That album showed how much her voice had grown and how much her body hadnt. She is still able to perform as well as she did when she was 15 years younger. These are the reasons I respect Madonna. Not only is she a talented artist she is also a shrewd businesswoman.

About the Author

Madonna News and Discography
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Article published on March 01, 2007 at Isnare.com